Pioneer’s new SE-Master 1 headphones will set you back £1,699

If you thought a pair of Beats were heavy on your wallet, Pioneer’s latest flagship headphones might not be for you.

After more than five years in development, the Pioneer SE-Master 1 headphones have been formally unveiled alongside a rather steep £1,699 asking price.

Not the sort of cans you’re going to idly use on the morning commute to listen to your iPod-stored tunes, the new SE-Masters are ‘reference grade’ headphones for tasked with providing unrivalled audio clarity and supreme levels of comfort.

“In the pursuit of an enriched musical experience, we designed and engineered these headphones with a focus on technical supremacy and purity in sound and design,” Pioneer’s Product Executive, Geoff Loveday, said.

Crafted from a combination of duralumin and aluminium – with soft leather ear pads – the handcrafted headphones feature newly developed 50mm driver units with a Parker Ceramic Coating.

This finish is said to help reduce distortion while providing a smoother listening experience.